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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bank — of a river
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spring — of water

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