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: coach · temple · court · branch · capital · stand · present · prune

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — the time now
  9. capital — a city
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. court — of law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — there
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. capital — money

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