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: press · band · branch · season · bark · can · board · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a partner
  3. board — a committee
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. season — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — to get on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — a friend

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