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: board · rash · bulb · band · lean · cold · scale · nail

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a music group
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. board — to get on
  20. scale — in music
  21. band — a ring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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