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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a song
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — a hat
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — to get on

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