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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — a stick

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