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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — for sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. last — finally
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — final
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

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