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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a skill

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