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 · current · temple · lean · branch · spring · bear · lash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to bend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — the animal

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