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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of law
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — a line
  20. branch — a division
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. trunk — 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