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: stick · dip · pop · face · pound · fan · band · arm

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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