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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — a division
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — government
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — a law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. court — for sport

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