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: tube · toast · spring · field · trunk · perch · mark · pitcher

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a grade
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. field — for sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — a container
  15. spring — of water
  16. field — a subject
  17. perch — the fish
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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