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: patient · coach · safe · degree · trunk · lie · branch · scale

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. degree — an amount

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