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: sharp · can · straw · bass · land · ball · trunk · lean

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the fish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — low music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. land — to come down

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