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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. season — in sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — rain
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — ground
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — animal skin

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