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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cell — in biology
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — the cause
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — of a word
  24. perch — for a bird

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