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

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — child
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — of water
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bass — low music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — of water
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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