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: kick · cue · patient · saw · bark · branch · march · court

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. kick — in football
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. march — the month

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