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: trunk · kick · ball · fan · row · toast · wake · temple

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a line
  7. toast — bread
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — in football
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ball — a dance
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ball — a round shape

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