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: mouse · arm · degree · spell · branch · clip · bass · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. clip — for paper
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. arm — a part of something

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