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: mark · trunk · key · snap · rash · pit · land · wake

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — ground
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. land — a country

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