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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — of the year
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cap — of ice
  23. race — a contest
  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