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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — money
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. plane — an aircraft

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