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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. craft — a skill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. perch — for a bird

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