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: court · band · rest · safe · mine · cabinet · fan · branch

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — for sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — a division
  14. court — of a king
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. band — a ring
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — a break
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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