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: mark · stand · tear · vault · press · bat · branch · band

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tear — from crying
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — to push
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a music group
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. band — a ring
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — on your feet

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