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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. toast — bread
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — the earth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — a position
  18. capital — money
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a city

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