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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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