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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
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Word bank
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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — happy
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. perch — the fish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chair — a leader
  24. season — to add flavour

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