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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — a break
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — a division
  24. sharp — exactly

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