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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chair — a leader
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pound — a weight
  9. content — happy
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. march — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. club — a group
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — to sit 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