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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — a group

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