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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bass — low music
  16. band — a ring
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. sharp — with an edge

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