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: last · bulb · trunk · pound · branch · mate · court · lie

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. branch — a division
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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