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: chair · trunk · mate · mine · firm · rock · spell · game

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. firm — a company
  4. rock — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. firm — decided
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — steady
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. game — a match
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — to move gently

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