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 116 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: safe · band · wave · march · bound · trunk · track · deal

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — a song
  24. march — the month

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