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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a great time
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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