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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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