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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bat — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cell — a phone
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. trunk — of a tree

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