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: chest · straw · bulb · mate · hide · trunk · spell · current

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chest — a box
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. straw — a straw man

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