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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. land — a country
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ground — the earth
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — ground
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — a break

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