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 116 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: bowl · clip · ruler · bark · band · track · patient · club

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. track — a path
  9. club — for dancing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. clip — a video
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — to shout
  24. band — a rubber band

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