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 · season · temple · racket · cap · hand · rule · calf

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. season — in sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — a law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — 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