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: trunk · cold · key · current · foot · rash · shower · nail

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — happening now
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. current — of water
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. key — in music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cold — an illness
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rash — hasty

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