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: spell · season · mouse · row · chair · jam · mate · trunk

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spell — letters
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mate — a partner
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mate — a friend
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chair — a leader

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