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: cap · trunk · current · straw · bark · shower · bay · pitcher

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. current — happening now
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cap — a hat
  24. shower — rain

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