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: bore · branch · perch · bat · bass · temple · lash · race

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. race — humankind
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — the arms race

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