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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — a short time
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ground — a position
  5. toast — bread
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. present — the time now
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — there
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — thin
  24. ground — the earth

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