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: firm · lie · deal · lash · drill · trunk · fan · court

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. trunk — of a car

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