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: kid · racket · stand · current · press · spell · march · trunk

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — of water
  4. press — to push
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — magic
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — a publisher
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. march — music
  24. stand — to bear

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