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: drill · bear · bass · mate · track · spell · bark · band

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. band — a ring
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — army training
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — low music

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