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: row · cell · trunk · root · chest · roll · perch · mouse

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cell — in biology
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cell — a phone
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chest — a box
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a line

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