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: season · key · mine · trunk · bowl · branch · mug · calf

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. key — the most important part
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — of the year
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — in music
  17. mug — a face
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — in sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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