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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — after costs
  5. band — a music group
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. last — to go on
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. last — final

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