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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. swing — music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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