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 · dip · bound · cell · prune · kick · present · plane

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bound — certain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cell — in biology
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. present — there
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — tied together

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