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: nail · band · roll · wind · bark · fine · deal · can

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fine — high quality
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a ring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. band — a music group
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wind — moving air

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