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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — to visit
  9. court — for sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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