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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — to breed
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — a law
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — the sport
  23. band — a music group
  24. sharp — exactly

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