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 120 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: drill · stem · ground · saw · straw · temple · wave · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. drill — a practice

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