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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — to come down
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. land — ground
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — hurry
  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