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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. content — happy
  5. game — wild animals
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. game — a match
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — an aim

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