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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. court — of a king
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — final
  17. court — of law
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pit — a hole
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — moving air

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