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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spring — of water
  4. game — a match
  5. row — to paddle
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — a face
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mug — to rob
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. branch — of a bank

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