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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — a country
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. field — a subject
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — steady
  24. land — to come down

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