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: last · trunk · nail · spell · pit · spring · pop · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — music
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pop — soda
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — final
  13. spring — of water
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — letters
  20. spring — a coil
  21. last — to go on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — on a finger

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