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: coach · lean · squash · wind · band · rule · dip · pitcher

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. band — a ring

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