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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kick — in football
  11. clip — to cut
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — a video
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. arm — part of the body

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