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: lash · march · land · lie · trunk · branch · stand · field

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. field — a subject
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. land — a country
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — to come down
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — ground
  12. march — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — for sport
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — for spectators

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