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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rash · lash · sharp · file · branch · band · saw

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a ring
  3. land — a country
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rash — a series
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a music group
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. file — a line of people

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