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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — low music
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — a division
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — to come down

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