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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. content — happy
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — letters
  10. firm — a company
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. firm — steady
  24. craft — a skill

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