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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bank — for money
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wax — for sculpting

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