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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. land — to come down
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a music group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pit — in a race
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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