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: leaves · club · craft · mark · bass · wind · branch · bowl

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bass — the fish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. club — a group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. club — for dancing

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