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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. clip — a video
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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