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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — to visit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — a division
  16. mark — a grade
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pop — music
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pass — to spend time

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