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: date · branch · toast · rash · spring · court · fall · bore

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — of a king
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — of water
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — a series
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. toast — bread
  19. date — the fruit
  20. spring — the season
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bore — to drill

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