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 116 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: row · game · pitcher · bear · trunk · cell · leaves · suit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — a phone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. row — a line
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — of a tree

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