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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — a division
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. branch — of a tree

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