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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spring — a coil
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — help
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — the season
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — 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