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 · branch · straw · root · lash · file · plane · trunk

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — a tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. last — final
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. root — the cause
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a word
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — in geometry

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