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: bass · hand · lean · trunk · stem · craft · chest · chair

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chest — a box
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a professorship

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