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: arm · shower · cabinet · saw · trunk · mate · rest · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — a break
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. saw — the tool
  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