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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kid — to tease
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — of a river
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — in music

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