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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — of law
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — for sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — a coil

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