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: stick · mark · mine · season · cap · row · band · track

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — for digging
  4. track — a song
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — of the year
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a ring
  24. track — a path

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