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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lean — thin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wind — moving air

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