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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — in cards
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. season — of the year
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a face

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