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: land · band · bowl · jam · track · swing · current · bound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. current — electric
  4. track — to keep track
  5. swing — in golf
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. track — a path
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. land — a country
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — ground
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — certain
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — a song
  24. bowl — a football final

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