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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. net — after costs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — army training
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. patient — a sick person

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