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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — soda
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — certain
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pit — in a race
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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