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 · court · chip · fork · arm · foot · lean · fan

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fork — in a road
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — thin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. court — of a king
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. court — of law
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fork — to eat with

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