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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — a song
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. branch — a division
  21. charge — in control
  22. stem — to come from
  23. court — of law
  24. tear — from crying

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