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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — a sick person

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