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: stick · fan · present · pitcher · cue · trunk · band · bound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — the time now
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. present — there
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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