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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — the time now
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — there
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — a gift
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — to breed
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — a friend
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stand — to bear

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