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 116 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: land · fan · ruler · bat · prune · season · charge · trunk

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. land — ground
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. prune — the fruit

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