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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a committee
  6. file — a tool
  7. hand — help
  8. board — to get on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a music group
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. band — a rubber band

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