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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — after costs
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. net — in sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. field — for sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. field — farmland

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