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: band · net · bass · patient · jam · coach · shower · branch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a ring
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bass — low music

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