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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. object — to protest
  12. face — to confront
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wound — an injury
  15. date — the fruit
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — army training
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — an aim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wound — an injury

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