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: bass · jam · mine · band · swing · tube · leaves · fine

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. band — a music group
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fine — all right
  13. band — a ring
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. swing — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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