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: bass · swing · lie · bark · branch · firm · bear · wave

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — low music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — steady
  24. lie — to recline

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