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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — part of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — for measuring

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