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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — for sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a hat
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — to play on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — in golf
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — 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