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: rash · wind · mouse · lie · calf · trunk · branch · wound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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