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: ruler · fan · branch · trunk · bound · squash · cabinet · key

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — a supporter

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