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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — thin
  6. pop — soda
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pop — to visit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — music

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