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 120 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: press · band · bass · tear · safe · calf · ball · race

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — to push
  3. band — a ring
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. race — a contest
  10. tear — to rip
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ball — a great time
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — humankind
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — the fish

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