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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chair — a leader
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to confront
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — for money
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — a division
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ground — crushed

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