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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. tube — a container
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. chest — a box
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. object — to protest
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. object — an aim

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