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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — electric
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — the tool
  24. current — of water

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