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: mine · pit · present · trunk · cell · can · spell · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. present — a gift
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. present — there
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cell — in biology
  18. present — the time now
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spell — magic
  24. mine — for digging

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