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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — a thing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — in a computer

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