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: row · ruler · scale · wave · lash · chair · court · branch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. court — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. row — a line
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. row — to paddle
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — of law
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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