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: court · date · trunk · mate · present · roll · fork · lean

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a partner
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — to bend
  7. present — the time now
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. roll — a list
  10. fork — in a road
  11. present — there
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — of law
  17. present — a gift
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — of a king
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a cake

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