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: saw · trunk · racket · patient · tube · game · stand · ground

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — to bear

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