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: object · board · nail · wound · key · hand · band · rash

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. board — a committee
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — to protest
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — a thing
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. band — a music group
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. object — an aim
  24. nail — on a finger

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