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: kid · toast · band · cell · nail · calf · bank · branch

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — bread
  18. cell — a phone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kid — child
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — of a river

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