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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — a contest
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — not warm
  6. game — wild animals
  7. roll — a cake
  8. race — humankind
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. roll — a list
  12. fine — all right
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — an illness
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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