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 · nail · snap · cabinet · swing · date · bulb · rest

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to click
  17. swing — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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