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 · wind · game · rash · foot · mark · chip · file

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — a measure
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a document
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — a series
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — on the skin

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