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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · trunk · snap · dip · season · temple · bay · roll

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. season — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fine — high quality
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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