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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — a division
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. clip — a video
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kick — in football
  20. stock — goods
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pop — to visit

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