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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a ring
  13. court — of law
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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