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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. court — of a king
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — in sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a ring
  17. season — of the year
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — obliged
  24. court — of law

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