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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mate — to breed
  24. trunk — of a car

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