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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — finally
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — hasty
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — of a king
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. court — of law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. last — to go on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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