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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of a king
  4. row — a line
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a cup
  7. object — to protest
  8. mug — a face
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mug — to rob
  15. row — to paddle
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. object — an aim
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. shower — rain
  24. row — a quarrel

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