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: band · staff · roll · mark · content · pitch · trunk · rule

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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