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 116 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: perch · fall · mate · stem · coach · kid · trunk · rock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kid — child
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stem — to come from
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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