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: suit · band · wake · sharp · key · march · wave · branch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. key — for a lock
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — clothes
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. march — music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. band — a music group
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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