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: branch · toast · stand · press · court · staff · content · ground

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — a position
  9. court — for sport
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — bread
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. content — happy

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