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: trunk · swing · stem · cabinet · present · can · wind · wave

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. present — the time now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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