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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. branch — a division
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. band — a music group
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — the cause
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — from crying

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