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 · mark · hand · pound · bulb · stand · pitch · season

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. season — of the year

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