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: face · pop · row · swing · band · bore · land · craft

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. craft — boats
  8. row — a line
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. land — to come down
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a skill
  23. land — ground
  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