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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. root — the cause
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hand — help
  10. root — of a word
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. roll — a list
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. trunk — of a tree

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