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: bulb · trunk · content · patient · cue · clip · arm · fall

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. cue — for pool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. clip — a video
  24. cue — a hint

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