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 · pitcher · wake · last · bay · bulb · mark · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. last — finally
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — a trail

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