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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. present — a gift
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — an illness
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — there
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — a weight
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for golf
  16. court — of law
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. present — the time now
  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