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: net · trunk · deal · craft · capital · mark · rush · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rush — hurry
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. capital — money
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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