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: nail · shower · club · saw · band · branch · suit · bowl

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a ring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — to wash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — rain
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a rubber band

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