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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · trunk · mug · stand · coach · mine · wax · spell

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. content — happy
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stand — to bear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — magic
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — a trainer

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