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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. craft — boats
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — a contest
  12. file — a tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a document
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. race — humankind
  24. craft — a handicraft

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