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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. rock — to move gently
  3. chest — a box
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. band — a ring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. toast — bread
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — in cards
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rock — music
  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