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: band · jam · ruler · arm · fall · branch · game · face

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. game — wild animals
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a music group
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fall — the season
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — to confront
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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