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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — of ice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a music group
  10. swing — in golf
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — to play 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