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: trunk · wake · pop · scale · cabinet · ball · swing · band

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. scale — in music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a music group
  24. scale — for weighing

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