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: court · chair · track · branch · stand · kick · lash · swing

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — in football
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. swing — music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. court — of law
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. swing — to play on
  13. court — for sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. branch — a division
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. court — of a king

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