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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — a break
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — a division
  24. band — a rubber band

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