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: jam · leaves · trunk · present · rock · cap · land · track

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — a country
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cap — a lid
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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