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

Word bank: degree · patient · rule · branch · tube · march · court · scale

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — temperature
  10. march — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — an amount
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rule — government
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — for sport
  24. degree — from a university

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