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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cell — in biology
  3. last — final
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — a container
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — a group
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bark — to shout
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — the underground
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — to go on

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