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: last · trunk · toast · patient · wake · bay · prune · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — to go on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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