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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tube — a container
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — a path
  22. last — finally
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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