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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. present — a gift
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. capital — a city
  11. rush — hurry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. swing — to play on
  20. present — there
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  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