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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. last — final
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — after costs
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — for catching

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