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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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