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 · branch · capital · spell · straw · saw · mouse · foot

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — a measure
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bass — the fish
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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