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: wind · jam · ground · band · spell · leaves · mark · land

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — the earth
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mark — a trace

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