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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — the arms race
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — in geometry

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