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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spell — magic
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — a stone

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