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: lash · trunk · net · band · game · charge · rest · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a match
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a music group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. net — after costs
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. net — for catching
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rest — what's left

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