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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. branch — a division
  8. drill — army training
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — of the year
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — low music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. drill — a practice

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