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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — magic
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — letters
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — a trace

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