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: deal · rock · band · fine · cold · bound · spell · track

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a music group
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — high quality
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — magic
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a path
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — all right
  24. cold — not warm

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