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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. charge — electricity
  8. field — a subject
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a bank

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