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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. field — farmland
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. can — to be able to
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. fork — in a road
  22. field — for sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. can — a tin

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