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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. date — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. toast — bread
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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