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: trunk · root · sharp · cap · pit · cue · mine · perch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. root — of a word
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — the cause
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cap — of ice

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