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: trunk · chip · sharp · root · race · lash · bear · snap

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chip — to eat
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — with an edge

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