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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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