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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. drill — army training

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