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: lash · field · bay · can · band · safe · march · bass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — for sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. field — a subject
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. band — a ring

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