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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — the cause
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. charge — a price
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wound — an injury
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — a break
  21. root — of a word
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of law

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