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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fine — high quality
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. band — a music group
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a hint
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — help
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — a signal
  19. band — a ring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bark — to shout

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