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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — happy
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — a thing
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. object — to protest

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