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: lean · patient · season · net · object · rest · hide · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — after costs
  3. season — in sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — an aim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — a thing
  18. season — of the year
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — a break
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — to keep secret

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