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: leaves · squash · rash · rock · spring · branch · band · pop

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a ring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — a stone

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