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

Word bank: kid · bear · mate · march · coach · branch · trunk · chip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. kid — child
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — a division
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. march — music

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