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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — magic
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. band — a ring
  9. spring — of water
  10. band — a music group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — from crying
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spring — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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