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: board · rest · wind · branch · pop · band · track · present

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — there
  7. board — a committee
  8. band — a music group
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a ring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rest — a break
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. present — the time now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — music

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