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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — a stick
  8. file — a line of people
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. file — a tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — a division
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a tree

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