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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — to tease
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kid — child

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