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 · dip · bay · prune · swing · bat · stem · chest

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chest — a box
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — a stem cell

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