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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. clip — a video
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pit — in a race
  10. clip — for paper
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. clip — to cut
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — a hole
  24. trunk — of a car

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