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: sharp · rash · wake · mark · kid · racket · fan · trunk

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kid — child
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — a series
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — a grade

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