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: board · court · safe · band · cell · bay · root · branch

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. branch — a division
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. band — a music group
  15. cell — in biology
  16. root — the cause
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. board — a committee
  21. root — of a plant
  22. court — of a king
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — to get on

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