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: stick · chair · object · foot · row · hand · trunk · chest

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — a thing
  5. hand — in cards
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chest — a box
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a line
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — a leader
  23. object — to protest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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