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: mouse · ground · branch · lash · bass · bowl · net · current

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — after costs

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