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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — help
  16. march — music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — thin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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