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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kid — child
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — for pool
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cell — in a prison

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