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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. court — for sport
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — a box
  21. date — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — music

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