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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — in a road
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. track — a song
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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