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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — a price
  12. field — for sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — electricity
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — a subject
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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