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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — to play on
  6. file — a tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to drill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. swing — music
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — to protest
  24. file — a line of people

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