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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. club — a group
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. clip — a video
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — for dancing
  13. snap — to click
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. club — for golf
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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