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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a great time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bass — the fish
  23. content — happy
  24. branch — of a tree

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