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: present · cabinet · trunk · pitcher · snap · court · spell · ruler

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spell — letters
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — the time now
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. present — there
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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