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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — low music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. branch — a division

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