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: hand · racket · wax · lash · bank · branch · trunk · present

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — help
  11. present — a gift
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — a division
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bank — of a river
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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