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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — of the year
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spring — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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