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: board · wax · game · fan · key · branch · rash · file

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — a match
  18. file — a tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — to get on

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