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 120 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: rule · swing · branch · land · board · chip · safe · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — a division
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — for betting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. land — to come down
  21. track — a song
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — ground
  24. rule — government

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