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: cold · plane · current · face · last · stand · lie · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — to recline
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — happening now
  16. cold — an illness
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — final

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