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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — for sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. branch — a division

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