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: face · cue · band · nail · craft · bulb · rule · pop

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a music group
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — government
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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