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 · rock · roll · jam · branch · clip · bank · deal

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. roll — a cake
  3. clip — for paper
  4. court — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. roll — a list
  19. branch — a division
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. court — of a king

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