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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — rain
  9. pound — a weight
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. season — of the year
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mine — an explosive

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