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

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. branch — a division
  15. season — of the year
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — a hint
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. march — the month

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