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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. toast — bread
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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