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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. craft — boats
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — to crush
  23. band — a music group
  24. trunk — of a car

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