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 · pit · drill · stand · pitch · last · face · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — for pool
  9. last — final
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to confront
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — army training
  17. pit — in a race
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — the tool

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