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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — letters
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. snap — to click
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — magic
  15. press — newspapers
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — a series
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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