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: patient · branch · wake · court · safe · fan · kid · squash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kid — to tease
  4. court — for sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of a king
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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