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 120 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: net · shower · foot · trunk · kid · present · drill · branch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — army training
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — child
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — a measure
  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