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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. bass — low music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — tied together
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bass — the fish

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