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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — a trace
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — a publisher
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — the month
  14. press — newspapers
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — to push
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — to pay attention

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