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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. clip — a video
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — in biology
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — a phone
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — a measure

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