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

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spring — the season
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. snap — to click
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. content — the amount
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — of water

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