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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a leader
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — after costs
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — of water
  24. key — in music

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