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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — thin
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — a safe
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of a car

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