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 · lie · cabinet · date · roll · spring · coach · last

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — to go on
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — the fruit
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — the season

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