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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lean — to bend
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rock — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a song
  18. press — newspapers
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — a division
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — crushed
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — a stone

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