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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — a thing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. object — to protest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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