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: track · chip · hand · fine · straw · wave · trunk · arm

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — all right
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chip — for betting

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