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 120 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: sharp · pound · trunk · content · bat · perch · root · can

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — happy
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — the cause
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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