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: chest · track · trunk · bear · shower · stick · club · can

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. track — a song
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  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