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: tube · bank · pitcher · sharp · fall · band · squash · jam

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. tube — a container
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. squash — to crush
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a ring
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. sharp — with an edge

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