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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — help
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. land — ground
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. land — a country
  24. can — a tin

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