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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. fine — all right
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — high quality
  24. squash — the vegetable

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