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: cold · date · bass · coach · object · bulb · branch · rest

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — the fruit

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