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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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