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: patient · racket · bass · march · lie · pop · chair · branch

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — soda
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. march — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — to visit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — a professorship

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