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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — a division
  19. band — a music group
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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