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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a document
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — a committee
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cap — a hat
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — a subject
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a tool

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