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: stick · cue · bowl · bank · tube · field · band · current

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a signal
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. band — a ring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tube — the underground
  12. field — for sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tube — a container
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cue — a hint
  17. field — a subject
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — of water
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — for pool

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