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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. date — the fruit
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. temple — a place of worship

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