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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — goods
  24. patient — a sick person

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