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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hand — help
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. staff — employees
  16. net — in sport
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. net — for catching
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — after costs

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