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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — finally
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a ring
  13. swing — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. track — a path
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. track — to keep track
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. track — a song
  22. last — final
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. plane — in geometry

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