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: rest · band · wind · pass · straw · pitcher · scale · wound

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — an injury
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rest — a break
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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