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: foot · press · trunk · lash · club · kid · wave · prune

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for dancing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. club — for golf
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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