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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — to get on
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — a thrill

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