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: bat · can · pound · plane · trunk · squash · ball · dip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. can — to be able to
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pound — a weight

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