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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ground — crushed
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — music

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