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: trunk · suit · safe · season · degree · present · stock · wind

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — in sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — clothes
  8. present — there
  9. stock — shares
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — from a university
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — the time now
  24. season — to add flavour

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