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: bound · mark · spell · mine · bass · season · branch · bay

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spell — a short time
  10. branch — a division
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — magic
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — of the year
  24. mine — an explosive

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