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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. toast — bread
  9. rash — hasty
  10. root — of a word
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — a series
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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