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: pop · wound · chest · kick · trunk · cabinet · shower · arm

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. shower — rain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — a box
  24. arm — part of the body

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