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: bulb · mate · band · mouse · straw · nail · branch · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — to breed
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. band — a music group
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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