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: board · present · root · plane · pit · trunk · spell · wind

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — a short time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. root — of a word
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — there
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of a car

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