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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. firm — decided
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. firm — a company
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — for sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a city
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — a break
  19. court — of law
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. branch — a division
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — of a bank

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