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 120 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: game · rest · pop · band · scale · fork · suit · chest

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. band — a music group
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chest — a box
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — soda
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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