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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. club — for golf
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. last — finally
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — to eat
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. trunk — of a tree

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