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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — a division
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — of the year
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — in sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. band — a ring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. band — a music group
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — what's left

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