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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — the animal

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