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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. clip — a video
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — of a river
  20. clip — for paper
  21. branch — a division
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — for money
  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