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 · plane · spell · key · land · spring · lie · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spell — letters
  8. band — a ring
  9. land — ground
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — magic
  14. land — to come down
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — a coil
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — of water
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a music group

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