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: squash · court · track · roll · branch · charge · season · prune

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. court — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a song
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a path
  16. court — of law
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a list
  23. squash — the sport
  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