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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. field — for sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. pop — soda
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — a container
  24. perch — the fish

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