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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a document
  5. hand — in cards
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. band — a music group
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bark — to shout
  17. scale — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a ring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — to breed

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