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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — a line
  4. field — a subject
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — for sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — for a lock
  22. field — farmland
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — to cool the air

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