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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — a permit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — the fish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — a phone

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