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: cue · kick · swing · wake · chair · trunk · rash · race

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rash — a series
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — in football
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — the arms race
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. swing — music

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