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: perch · mark · cue · ground · rash · trunk · racket · date

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — the fish
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — a position
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rash — a series

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