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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — low music
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the fish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — of the year
  24. spring — a coil

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