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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — for sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. court — of a king
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — in music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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