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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — a country
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to click
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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