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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. club — a group
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — a division
  23. race — a contest
  24. season — in sport

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