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: drill · spring · lash · content · chip · jam · kick · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. kick — in football
  3. spring — the season
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a music group
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — for betting
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. band — a ring
  24. drill — a practice

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