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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — obliged
  9. net — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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