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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  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