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: band · cabinet · calf · bay · trunk · jam · season · rush

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. band — a music group
  5. rush — hurry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. season — in sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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