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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. court — for sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. capital — a city
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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