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 120 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: wake · pop · mark · charge · prune · land · calf · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — ground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chest — a box
  24. prune — the fruit

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