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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. face — to confront
  5. net — in sport
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kid — child
  18. craft — boats
  19. net — for catching
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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