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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — finally
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a ring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — final
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — to go on
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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