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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — in a race
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. clip — a video
  15. roll — a cake
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. clip — to cut

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