ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bark · mine · band · cap · jam · shower · coach

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. shower — to wash
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com