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: wound · mate · band · bank · bowl · tube · face · clip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. clip — for paper
  3. band — a music group
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mate — a partner
  9. clip — a video
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tube — a container
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. face — to point toward
  24. band — a ring

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