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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. charge — in control
  6. pound — a weight
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chest — a box
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. suit — to fit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — in cards
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. clip — for paper

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