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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — the time now
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. present — there
  13. bass — low music
  14. toast — bread
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. present — a gift
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — magic
  24. march — the month

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