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: trunk · roll · fall · firm · bay · mine · stem · pitcher

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stem — to come from
  12. firm — a company
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. roll — on a roll

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