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: track · mug · spell · arm · march · present · trunk · can

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. track — a song
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — to be able to

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