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: last · bass · tube · vault · branch · clip · swing · bay

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. last — final
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the fish
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. last — to go on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. clip — to cut
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. clip — a video
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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