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: straw · scale · object · bark · land · trunk · ball · cap

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cap — a lid
  3. land — ground
  4. bark — to shout
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — a country
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — to come down

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