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 116 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 · rock · mark · bark · season · can · plane · rush

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — a trace
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bark — to shout
  24. band — a ring

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