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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — to visit
  3. present — there
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mark — a grade
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pop — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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