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: bank · chair · track · trunk · lash · mate · bound · wake

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. track — a path
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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