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: wind · trunk · ground · safe · lie · date · season · dip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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