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: band · race · tube · deal · patient · ball · wind · spell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. race — the arms race
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — the underground
  7. band — a ring
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — magic
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — letters

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