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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — magic
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. branch — a division

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