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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. 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. band — a rubber band
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. band — a music group
  11. drill — army training
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — a box
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. 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