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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — in sport

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