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: branch · row · pitcher · fan · board · drill · wound · land

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — to get on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — to paddle
  20. land — ground
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a committee

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