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: season · prune · nail · key · branch · track · mark · trunk

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — in music
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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