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 120 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: trunk · lie · suit · mine · dip · wind · season · tear

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — in sport
  12. tear — to rip
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — belonging to me

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