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 · squash · straw · rash · toast · fine · ground · perch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. perch — the fish
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. toast — bread
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rash — a series
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — crushed
  24. trunk — of a car

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