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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a document
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. field — farmland
  21. file — a tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — a subject

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