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: nail · board · wind · shower · racket · band · bulb · branch

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a ring
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a committee
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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