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 · chair · spring · jam · key · sharp · lie · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — a partner
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spring — a coil
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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