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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tube — the underground
  5. row — a line
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — in golf
  24. row — to paddle

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