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 116 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: can · row · trunk · pop · pass · shower · band · bulb

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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