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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · racket · rule · court · pitcher · branch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rule — government
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — a law
  17. court — of a king
  18. 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