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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — a division
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — a video
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — of law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — for sport

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