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: rule · kid · fine · spring · lie · club · branch · foot

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — all right
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — for golf
  23. branch — a division
  24. kid — child

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