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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. branch — a division
  4. pass — a permit
  5. band — a music group
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a ring
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a document
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. file — a line of people
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — the season
  24. band — a rubber band

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