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 120 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: bat · racket · leaves · band · present · staff · can · stand

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — the time now
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. present — there
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. staff — employees

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