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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bass — low music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — a city
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — a big letter

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