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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chip — to eat
  16. suit — clothes
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. shower — rain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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