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: pound · bass · march · cap · root · rest · branch · clip

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. march — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — a video
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cap — a hat
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — of ice
  24. clip — to cut

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