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: rush · fan · band · game · bowl · vault · stick · dip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. band — a ring
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a music group
  10. vault — a safe
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. band — a rubber band

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