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: can · arm · lash · trunk · bound · court · branch · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of law
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — a division

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