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

Word bank: tear · charge · perch · present · trunk · wake · track · wound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tear — to rip
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — in control
  10. track — a path
  11. present — a gift
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a song
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a tree

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