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: suit · chest · saw · temple · field · mate · hand · trunk

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. field — farmland
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chest — a box
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chest — of your body
  21. field — a subject
  22. hand — help
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. trunk — of a tree

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