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: plane · fan · stand · trunk · cell · pit · mate · content

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. mate — a partner
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. content — happy
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stand — for spectators
  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