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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. squash — to crush
  22. present — there
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — a gift

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