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: staff · branch · bay · drill · trunk · club · temple · present

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. staff — a stick
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. club — for dancing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. present — there
  23. drill — army training
  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