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: jam · trunk · pitcher · snap · wind · track · mouse · chest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. track — a song
  3. snap — to click
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chest — a box
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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