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 116 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: nail · land · bowl · snap · tube · fine · pit · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to click
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a music group
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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