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: branch · band · drill · scale · march · court · vault · firm

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — a division
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — music
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. court — of a king
  21. band — a music group
  22. drill — army training
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — of a bank

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