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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. current — of water
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chair — a leader
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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