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: prune · swing · stock · branch · mouse · season · court · ruler

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. court — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — in golf
  24. court — of law

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