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: spring · trunk · firm · content · cap · ground · jam · wax

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. content — the amount
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. content — happy
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spring — the season
  16. firm — a company
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — to grow

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