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: content · lean · arm · land · lie · date · drill · trunk

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — a country
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. land — ground
  9. content — the amount
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — happy
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. drill — the tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. trunk — of a tree

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