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: vault · fall · lash · cell · net · trunk · leaves · ground

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cell — in biology
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — for catching
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — the season

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