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: season · bay · nail · fork · band · root · roll · tube

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — in sport
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a cake
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. band — a ring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. root — of a word
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. root — the cause
  24. fork — a garden tool

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