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: branch · track · season · wind · rock · bass · arm · bark

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — low music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a path
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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