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: branch · court · bound · cue · shower · current · field · drill

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — a signal
  12. shower — rain
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — a division
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. field — for sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bound — obliged

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