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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. shower — rain
  5. current — electric
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. land — a country
  20. shower — to wash
  21. current — happening now
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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