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 · arm · sharp · plane · mark · coach · branch · kid

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kid — to tease
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — for sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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