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: cabinet · tube · band · field · march · fan · fork · bank

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. band — a ring
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. band — a music group
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. march — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — a container
  24. march — the month

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