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 · chip · spell · band · bowl · patient · field · object

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. bowl — a dish
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — of the year
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — letters
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — a thing
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — in sport
  23. chip — to eat
  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