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 116 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: mug · land · branch · pitcher · stem · trunk · mine · rest

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — to come from
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — to come down
  9. mug — a face
  10. land — ground
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — a division
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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