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: pit · chest · ruler · mug · date · band · hand · bass

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a music group
  15. chest — a box
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a cup
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a face
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mug — to rob

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