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: staff · clip · wound · ball · plane · dip · jam · band

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. clip — to cut
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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