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: date · cue · bat · saw · trunk · drill · leaves · mug

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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