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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — a group
  6. content — happy
  7. cell — a phone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lean — thin
  22. fork — in a road
  23. content — the amount
  24. lean — to bend

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