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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. drill — army training
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — the bottom

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