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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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