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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cue — a hint
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. club — a group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for dancing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. capital — a big letter

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