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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spell — magic
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — to come from
  8. face — to confront
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — in sport

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