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: race · band · pop · lean · tear · object · roll · dip

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — to protest
  4. pop — soda
  5. race — humankind
  6. lean — thin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — to bend
  10. race — a contest
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — an aim
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. roll — a list
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. object — a thing

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