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: mark · lean · nail · straw · ball · spell · bay · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lean — thin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — magic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spell — letters
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a trace

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