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: mouse · court · face · deal · branch · pit · racket · shower

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of a king
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. court — of law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — for sport
  14. shower — rain
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. shower — to wash
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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