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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. branch — a division
  6. tear — from crying
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. squash — the 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