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: mug · rash · field · pop · hand · trunk · last · rest

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. last — to go on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. last — finally
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. pop — soda
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — final
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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