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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cap — a lid
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — to get on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — part of the head
  14. board — a committee
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to point toward
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a friend

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