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 · tube · nail · lean · wave · net · patient · file

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a ring
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to bend
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — a container
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. file — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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