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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — happy
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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