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: toast · mark · rash · bank · cold · trunk · wound · snap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — an illness
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to click
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. toast — bread
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mark — a grade
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rash — a series
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rash — hasty

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