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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. swing — to play on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — a list
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — all right

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