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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. pop — soda
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — in sport
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — music

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