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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — low music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. shower — to wash
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. jam — a tight spot

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