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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — a law
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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