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: wound · wind · roll · tube · band · bound · club · pitch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. roll — a list
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bound — certain
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for golf
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. band — a music group
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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