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: court · patient · track · pop · nail · arm · fan · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — music
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a path
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — soda

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