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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — a division
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — a position
  13. court — of law
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — the season

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