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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — of the year
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wax — for sculpting

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