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 taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. key — the most important part
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. band — a ring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — a tool
  23. key — in music
  24. can — to be able to

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