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: club · bound · mark · hand · straw · ground · band · firm

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. club — for golf
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — crushed
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — steady
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — help
  24. firm — a company

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