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: squash · band · mate · racket · can · straw · shower · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — rain
  7. mate — a friend
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — the sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. band — a ring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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