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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — a division
  3. pop — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. court — of law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. court — for sport
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. branch — of a bank

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