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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — in sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bat — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. roll — a list
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. race — the arms race

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