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 116 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: ball · rock · cap · face · coach · stem · snap · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rock — music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — part of the head
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a hat

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