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: cell · season · trunk · row · fan · mug · toast · jam

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mug — a face
  4. season — in sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. season — of the year
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. row — a line
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cell — a phone
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. trunk — of a car

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