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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. season — in sport

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