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: ground · game · jam · spring · branch · vault · shower · band

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — the earth
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a ring
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — a safe
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — a position
  11. spring — the season
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. branch — a division
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spring — a coil

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