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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — a division
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chest — a box
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. court — of a king
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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