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 120 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: can · branch · track · scale · court · content · wave · squash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — the amount
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — to keep track
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — a song
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — a path

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