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: mate · charge · hand · track · branch · chair · trunk · root

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — a path
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — help
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mate — to breed
  19. root — the cause
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — in cards
  22. root — of a word
  23. mate — a partner
  24. branch — a division

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