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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — final
  11. fall — to drop
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fall — the season
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. last — to go on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — in music
  24. suit — clothes

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