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: wound · band · press · land · can · hide · tube · plane

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — ground
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — a country
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a music group
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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