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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — of a river
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — magic
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — a short time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — rain
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a tree

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