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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — to come down
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — a country
  12. board — a committee
  13. pit — in a race
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. board — to get on

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