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: rule · scale · branch · charge · band · track · toast · rush

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — government
  5. charge — electricity
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — in music
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. branch — a division
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rush — hurry

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