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: cold · rest · mark · trunk · mouse · pound · mug · board

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cold — not warm
  5. board — to get on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — a face
  9. rest — a break
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — a committee

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