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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — low music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — a path
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. drill — the tool
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. drill — army training

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