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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · file · bound · wake · band · jam

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a document
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a music group
  18. tube — in a tire

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