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 116 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 · nail · bark · mouse · rush · clip · current · branch

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. court — of a king
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. clip — a video
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — for sport
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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