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: bowl · season · game · trunk · swing · hide · roll · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. roll — a list
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. swing — to play on

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