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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. last — to go on
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — finally
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — final
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — tied together

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