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 120 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 · saw · branch · spell · ground · bank · mine · rush

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. band — a ring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spell — a short time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — magic
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ground — a position
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — a thrill

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