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: band · board · pop · toast · track · mine · spring · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. track — a song
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a music group
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — to visit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a ring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pop — music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. mine — for digging
  24. toast — bread

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