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: net · wound · stick · bark · rush · can · band · content

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. net — for catching
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — to shout
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. net — in sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — the amount

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