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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. band — a ring
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — in a road
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — army training
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a music group
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. present — there
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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