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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. board — a committee
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. shower — to wash
  16. file — a line of people
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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