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: cell · trunk · bat · lean · cap · board · present · perch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bat — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cell — in biology
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — the time now
  13. lean — thin
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — to get on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. present — there
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cell — a phone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of a tree

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