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: pop · sharp · deal · jam · straw · stem · band · tube

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — to come from
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pop — soda
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stem — a stem cell

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