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: fork · bowl · stem · calf · date · wound · chest · trunk

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chest — a box
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stem — a stem cell

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