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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pop — soda
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. last — to go on
  21. pop — to visit
  22. scale — in music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. toast — the most admired

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