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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. court — of law
  3. snap — to click
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. net — for catching
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. court — for sport

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