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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — to add flavour

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