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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — a break
  21. spring — of water
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. tear — to rip
  24. plane — an aircraft

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