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 120 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 · bore · bat · calf · bark · bass · rock · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. band — a music group
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — a division
  12. rock — a stone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — music
  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