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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. field — a subject
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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