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: bat · ground · staff · branch · trunk · bark · spell · net

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bark — to shout
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bat — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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