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: ground · season · branch · trunk · straw · lie · nail · race

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. ground — the earth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ground — a position
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. race — a contest
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — to recline

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