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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. land — to come down
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. date — the fruit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. trunk — of a car

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