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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. court — of a king
  4. field — a subject
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — for sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — a division
  15. kid — child
  16. field — farmland
  17. court — of law
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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