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 · board · coach · race · perch · band · branch · leaves

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — a contest
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — for a bird

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