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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wound — an injury
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. row — a line
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to sink
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. march — music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — a measure
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. club — for dancing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. foot — the bottom

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