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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. swing — to play on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — newspapers
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. land — a country
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — magic
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. press — to push
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. swing — music

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