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: rash · track · foot · present · roll · content · band · trunk

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — there
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. track — a path
  13. content — happy
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. content — the amount
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — hasty
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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