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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · staff · trunk · land · vault · leaves · kick · lie

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — to come down
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — ground
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lie — an untruth

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