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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a line of people
  9. root — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — the fish
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — in sport
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. root — the cause
  19. file — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — of the year
  24. can — a tin

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