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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — to sink
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. craft — a skill
  23. race — a contest
  24. branch — a division

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