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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. present — there
  18. rest — what's left

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