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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chest — of your body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spring — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — of the year
  22. fall — the season
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fall — to drop

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