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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — of the year
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chest — of your body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — high quality

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