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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. suit — in cards
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — a division
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rash — a series
  19. bass — low music
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — in cards

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