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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. clip — to cut
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. swing — music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. can — to be able to
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a great time
  18. clip — a video
  19. rash — a series
  20. pass — a permit
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pass — to spend time

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