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

Word bank: bat · safe · clip · trunk · stem · season · mouse · foot

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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