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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — a practice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — the tool

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