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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. court — of law
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. march — the month
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — goods
  15. last — final
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — a division
  24. staff — employees

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