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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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