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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. current — electric
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cold — not warm
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. current — of water
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — a match
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cap — of ice

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