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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — not warm
  6. object — to protest
  7. cold — an illness
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — an aim
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chair — a leader
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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