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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fall — the season
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — the amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — a grade
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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