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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. charge — in control
  22. fall — the season
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. trunk — of a tree

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