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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — letters
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. root — the cause

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