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: trunk · mine · mouse · kick · rock · branch · mark · content

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — happy
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. content — the amount
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kick — a thrill

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