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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — a committee
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. swing — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — farmland
  21. board — to get on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — to recline

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