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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — a thing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. content — the amount
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — of ice
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — on a finger

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