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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — a short time
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — a division
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — magic
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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