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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · wind · mouse · branch · bass · bowl · deal · scale

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spring — the season
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. branch — a division
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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