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: deal · scale · rock · drill · charge · roll · band · wind

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. band — a ring
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rock — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. charge — in control
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wind — moving air

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