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: hide · date · band · coach · mouse · race · roll · spring

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. race — humankind
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — a contest
  6. spring — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a music group
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — a list
  23. race — the arms race
  24. roll — a cake

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