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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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