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: present · land · spell · game · rash · dip · trunk · mug

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — a match
  3. present — there
  4. spell — letters
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — a country
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mug — to rob
  10. present — a gift
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — a face
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — a short time
  20. land — to come down
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spell — magic
  23. land — ground
  24. trunk — of a car

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