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: shower · charge · field · track · court · foot · straw · branch

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — in control
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — a subject
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — electricity
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — rain
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — of a king
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. branch — a division

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