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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. land — to come down
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — there
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. land — a country
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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