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 120 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. race — a contest
  7. chair — a leader
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — hasty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the vegetable

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