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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. scale — in music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a partner
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. band — a music group

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