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 · wound · wake · staff · chest · craft · can · squash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chest — a box
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — a stick

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