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 · chair · hide · lash · plane · stem · wind · scale

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stem — to come from
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wind — to turn a key

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