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: present · stick · root · cell · file · trunk · safe · pitcher

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. present — the time now
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a document
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — a gift
  22. root — of a plant
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cell — in biology

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