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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · trunk · roll · mug · staff · pound · branch · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mug — a face
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — magic
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — to rob
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. roll — a list
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — a division
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — a weight
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mug — a cup

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