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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — of the year
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. race — humankind
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bass — low music

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