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: wind · branch · key · straw · wake · stem · band · board

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. branch — a division
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — for a lock

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