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: board · rule · band · branch · nail · face · pitcher · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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 — a group
  2. rule — government
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — a law
  8. band — a ring
  9. board — a committee
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a music group
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. club — for dancing
  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