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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — ground
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — the underground

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