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 120 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: trunk · fork · capital · rush · coach · pitcher · wound · hide

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — a city
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. capital — money
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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