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: bark · rush · tube · track · band · net · bay · mouse

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — after costs
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — for catching
  23. tube — the underground
  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