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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — tied together
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — a division
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of law
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tear — from crying
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. club — a group
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. degree — an amount

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