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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. court — of a king
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mine — for digging
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — the bottom

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