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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — of a word
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the fish
  18. march — music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — a division
  21. row — a line
  22. root — the cause
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. branch — of a bank

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