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 120 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: rule · hide · hand · court · branch · can · game · mate

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — a division
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rule — government
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rule — a law
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. game — a match
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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