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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. key — in music
  8. season — of the year
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. file — a document
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — high quality
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of a car

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