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: trunk · deal · perch · branch · land · present · patient · craft

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — ground
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. craft — boats
  24. present — the time now

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