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: calf · trunk · kick · root · net · last · bulb · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. last — to go on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. last — final
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — after costs
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. root — the cause
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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