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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. trunk — of an elephant
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. club — for dancing
  24. season — of the year

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