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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — a leader
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bass — low music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. branch — a division
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a professorship

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