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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. capital — money
  5. mate — a friend
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — a city
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — on a finger

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