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 120 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: game · swing · lean · bank · trunk · mate · track · season

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — thin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — to breed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — wild animals
  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