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

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. band — a ring
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a music group
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bass — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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