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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ground — a position
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ground — the earth

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