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 · deal · clip · mark · last · calf · tube · ruler

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. last — final
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — finally
  20. clip — to cut
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a ring

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