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 · pitcher · wave · snap · wake · mark · spell · branch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. snap — to click
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. court — of law

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