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: ball · band · plane · lean · game · hand · content · bank

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — a tool
  9. content — happy
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — to bend
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lean — thin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. hand — help
  18. band — a music group
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a ring
  24. hand — in cards

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