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: band · bank · plane · pit · clip · lash · bound · squash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — the sport
  11. clip — a video
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — obliged
  16. band — a music group
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — to crush
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bank — for money

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