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 · saw · cell · swing · calf · stock · spell · branch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — the fish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stock — goods
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bass — low music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. swing — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. spell — magic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — a soup base

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