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 120 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 · race · foot · tube · bark · content · suit · leaves

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. race — a contest
  3. band — a music group
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — the amount
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. suit — clothes
  14. foot — a measure
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. race — humankind
  22. suit — to fit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. suit — in cards

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