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 · chair · mine · coach · branch · current · temple · racket

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — electric
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of a king
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chair — a leader
  24. current — of water

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