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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. court — of a king
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bark — to shout
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. court — for sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. court — of law
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — part of the head
  18. staff — a stick
  19. date — the fruit
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  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