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 · prune · saw · ball · stick · land · straw · band

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — to come down
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. branch — a division
  24. prune — the fruit

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