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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to point toward
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. clip — a video
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a dance

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