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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cold — not warm
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. face — to confront

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