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: content · trunk · game · row · object · lean · cabinet · bear

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — a thing
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lean — to bend
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — ministers

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