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: trunk · bass · bulb · net · lean · wound · squash · face

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — in sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. face — to confront
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — the sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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