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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — a division
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — of the year
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. branch — of a tree

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