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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — an aim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — a thing

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