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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. land — ground
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — a country
  18. content — happy
  19. cue — for pool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — to come down
  23. content — the amount
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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