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 120 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: branch · file · ball · bowl · rule · wind · kid · bulb

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — a division
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a great time
  11. file — a tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a document
  24. bulb — for light

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