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 · shower · trunk · bulb · bound · deal · wound · rock

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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