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 120 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: fork · squash · leaves · can · wind · ground · trunk · wake

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — a trail
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a tree

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