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 120 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: trunk · branch · charge · bowl · foot · field · face · squash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — a price
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. branch — a division
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — to confront

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