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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a line
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a ring
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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