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: game · band · craft · drill · lean · trunk · cabinet · hide

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a ring
  19. game — a match
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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