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: hand · rule · foot · sharp · band · mug · chest · wave

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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