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: date · pop · branch · band · hide · ball · current · fall

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a ring

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