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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a list
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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