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: mate · nail · band · present · stick · rest · ball · jam

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a music group
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — a break
  12. present — the time now
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — there
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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