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: nail · bat · trunk · staff · perch · lie · bank · march

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bank — for money
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. staff — employees
  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