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: branch · land · drill · track · fan · sharp · spell · pass

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — to come down
  4. spell — letters
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — a country
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — army training
  21. track — a song
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spell — magic
  24. pass — to spend time

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