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 116 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: safe · rule · spell · wind · trunk · lie · pit · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — a division
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. branch — of a bank

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