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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a ring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lie — to recline
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lie — an untruth

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