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: temple · coach · wax · kid · trunk · fine · spring · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — child
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spring — a coil
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — to grow
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — a trainer

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