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 116 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: calf · trunk · plane · bat · shower · craft · sharp · court

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — rain
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. sharp — clever
  12. court — of a king
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. craft — boats
  24. calf — of the leg

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