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 116 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: track · leaves · board · march · dip · ball · branch · staff

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ball — a dance
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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