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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — for a lock
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — the most important part
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — a tin

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