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 120 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: trunk · pop · sharp · arm · stand · bowl · scale · leaves

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pop — soda
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. scale — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — size or range

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