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: bulb · game · plane · band · hide · mark

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — of a plant

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