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: board · trunk · suit · staff · hide · wax · ground · season

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. suit — clothes
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — the earth
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — a flat piece

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