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: can · degree · band · row · bass · wake · plane · leaves

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — to be able to
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. degree — from a university
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — to paddle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the fish
  19. degree — an amount
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — a tin

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