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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spring — the season
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. field — a subject
  24. trunk — of a tree

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