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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — help
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mate — a friend

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