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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cell — a phone
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. clip — a video

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