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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. swing — in golf
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a skill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. press — to push
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — a company
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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