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: vault · march · game · branch · fall · mug · file · fine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — high quality
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a document
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fine — all right
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fall — to drop
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mug — a cup
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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