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: mouse · squash · wake · chair · pop · lean · band · trunk

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — soda
  12. chair — a leader
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a music group

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