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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. land — ground
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — to come down
  24. dip — to dunk

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