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: patient · trunk · squash · band · bowl · cell · can · cap

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — to crush
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cap — of ice
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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