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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. branch — a division
  2. court — of law
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — to put up with
  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