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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. court — of law
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of a king
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — music

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