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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.

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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. season — in sport
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — completely
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — videos and posts

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