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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — army training
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  24. branch — of a bank

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