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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pop — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — letters
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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